Wayne Thiebaud is a talented painter made famous for a lifetime of calorie-rich images of cakes, pies, ice cream, cupcakes, and other savory treats. Thiebaud (pronounced like Tim Tebow) is arguably the most decorated Mormon fine artist in history having received numerous awards and accolades including the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton. He grew up in a Mormon home and his mother’s family came from Brigham Young era pioneers. Thiebaud explained to the Smithsonian, “My father, coming from another religion – Baptist, I think, if I remember – joined the Mormon Church, and was eventually an enthusiast, or was a- it’s a lay ministry, Mormonism, and he finally became a bishop. So I was a bishop’s son. But the Mormon community is very, very inter-supportive. And- and so it was a very nourishing environment. I was what you’d call today, I think, a spoiled child.” Thiebaud turned 95 last month and lives in California.
***Note: The Krakens was asked to pay for the right to use the Thiebaud imagery or be forced to take down the images. Our policy is to not pay for image rights so, unfortunately, you will have to Google Image search Thiebaud’s work like everyone else on the Inner-web.
Visit the Paul Thiebaud Gallery website.
Excellent profile of Thiebaud from CBS’ Sunday Morning (below).